Businesses tap into consumer interest

Nov. 19, 2013

Written by

Jennifer Gerrietts, for the Sioux Falls Business Journal

Two craft breweries with Sioux Falls ties will open in the coming year.

A group of investors, including Kirk Bloemendaal of Sioux Falls, plans to open a craft production brewery in Luverne, Minn., by next spring. The group will announce a name and official logo within the next few weeks, he said.

Luverne Brew Partners, a board that includes seven families, has purchased and is renovating a space on Main Street. They hope to have a taproom and produce beer that could be distributed regionally or even nationally.

“This area is a bit underserved as far as craft brewing locally,” said Bloemendaal, who grew up in Luverne. “It’s an exciting new venture for us.”

The group has an experienced brewer helping start the operation. Another contact is helping with a distribution and marketing plan.

“Everything can be locally grown and brewed, right here in the area,” Bloemendaal said.

Prairie Berry Winery, which announced plans to expand into Sioux Falls with a restaurant and wine tasting room in the historic Frank Transfer & Storage Building, opened a brewery in the Black Hills earlier this month.

Miner Brewing Co. had been a dream for Prairie Berry owners Sandi Votja and Matt Keck since they opened their winery in 1998, Keck said. As they sat in their kitchen making plans for Prairie Berry, they drank home-brewed beer.

“What we wanted to do was always bigger than the winery,” Keck said. “It was just a matter of having enough time to do it.”

The craft brewery in Hill City will include a taproom and outdoor beer garden. The taproom will be staffed by certified beer servers, with a Cicerone certification that gives them the knowledge they need to recommend food and beer pairings.

At first, the owners’ beer will be available only in their taproom, but eventually they’d like to offer it other places, including their Sioux Falls wine tasting room.

“We’re just tickled to be able to get this going right now,” Keck said. “There’s a big wave of growth with breweries, and it’s an exciting time to do it.”